On 17th December (Sunday), Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said that the Supreme Court’s 11th December ruling on Article 370 is not a “God’s verdict”. Speaking with reporters in Kupwara, she asserted that her party, PDP will continue to struggle for the restoration of special status to Jammu and Kashmir.
Mufti said, “We don’t have to lose heart. We will continue our struggle. The Supreme Court is not God. The same Supreme Court had earlier said that Article 370 cannot be amended without the recommendation of a constituent assembly. They were also learned judges. Today some other judges passed the ruling. We cannot treat it as God’s verdict.”
She claimed that those who oppose special status to Jammu and Kashmir, want “us to give up” on our fight. The PDP President stressed that they will not lose hope and continue the fight in this regard. She added, “Our opponents want us to give up the fight but we will continue till our last breath. We have made a lot of sacrifices and we cannot let them go in vain.”
Previously, the PDP leader had described the apex court’s verdict on pleas challenging the abrogation of Article 370 as a “death sentence” not only for Jammu and Kashmir but also for the idea of India. Stating that the struggle in the region has been a political fight spanning several decades, Mufti had urged people not to lose hope.
Likewise, Omar Abdullah, the vice-president of the National Conference, conveyed his disappointment over Article 370 article.
It is important to note that both the valley leaders who have been actively seen indulging in political activities had earlier claimed that they were house-arrested by the LG administration in the wake of the Article 370 verdict. They had also alleged that were they not allowed to talk with reporters. However, the claim was immediately rejected by Jammu and Kashmir LG Manoj Sinha and Srinagar Police calling their allegations “totally baseless”.
Supreme Court’s 11th December verdict on abrogation of Article 370
On 11th December, the Supreme Court of India upheld the Centre’s decision to abrogate Article 370 which granted special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. The five-judge constitutional bench noted that J&K did not retain any sovereignty after the instrument of accession was signed and there is no internal sovereignty for Jammu and Kashmir. It also ruled that Article 370 was a temporary provision. The court also asked the Election Commission to conduct the election to the Union Territory’s Assembly by September 30 next year.
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA)-led government at the Centre under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi revoked Article 370, taking away the special status of the state of Jammu and Kashmir on 5th August 2019. The state was then reorganised into two Union Territories, Ladakh and Jammu, and Kashmir.